Ignition device



Feb. 10, 1931. J HARDMAN 1,792,089

IGNITION DEVICE Filed June 27, 1929 Patented Feb. 10, 1931 umrsn {STATES EPFATENT OFFICE;

j TION, or ANDERSON, IANA, A 'oonrona rron or DELAWARE IGNITION DEVICE Application filed June 27,

, This invention relates to improvements in igmtion devices for internal combust on engines.

Further objects and advantages of the pres.-

ent invention will be apparent from the, following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of one [form of the present invention is clearly shown;

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical" sectional view taken through the center of the ignition device, and on lines 1-1. of Figs. 2 and 3, certainparts being shown in elevation for the sake of clearness. 1 1 I Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ignitiondevice with the distributor head removed. I i Y F ig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1. H

Fig. 4 is a sectionalview taken along the line 44 of Fig- 1. N Q

Referring tothe drawings, the ignition device is shown comprising a cup-shaped housing having a cylindrical boss 21extending therefromby which the ignition device maybe supported upon the engine, not shown. Within the housing 20 there is provided an annular shoulder 22 upon which is supported a plate 23, said plate having a plurality. of upturned ears 24 provided with screwthreaded openings for receiving the screws 25 which extend through the annular wall of the housing 20, enter the screw-threaded openings in the cars 24 of plate 23 and securely attach said plate 23 within the housing 20. The plate 23 supports thecircuit interrupting mechanism of theignition device, said circuit interrupting mechanism" comprising a stationary contact 26 and a movable contact 27. The stationary contact;

26 is carried by an up-turned ear 28 provided by the bracket 29 which is pivotally secured V to a pin 30 supported by the p1ate23. The

loosed. V

In order to obtain, delicate adjustments of 1929. SerialNO. 374,171.

bracket is adjustable for purposes to be described, a screw .31 extending through an elongated slot 32 in the bracket, screw-threadedly engaging'the plate 23 so as to clamp the bracket 29 :upon said plate. The elongated slot 32 has its longer sides substantially c0- a-Xial of the pivot pin 30 whereby the bracket may be swung about said pivot pin for ad justment purposes when the screw 31 is the bracket 29, a member 33 is provided, having a stud portion rotatably attached to the.

plate 23 and ahead portion eccentric tothe stud pOIt1OI1,SaId head portion fitting into an elon ated slot 34 in the bracket, the longer sides of said slot 34 being subs'tantiallyradial ofthe. pivotspin 30. From this it may. be seen that the bracket 29, when screw 31 is loosed, may be adjusted about the pivot pin 30'by the rotation of theeccentric head of member 33. 1

The movable contact 27 is carried by the contact arm or lever 35 whichyis pivotally supportedby the pin 30 and insulated therefrom in any suitable manner, the contact 27 being supported at the outer end of said lever. Intermediate the contact27'an'd'the pivot pin 30, lever 35 has arubbing block 36 which is adapted to be engaged by. the cam- 37 so as ftomove the lever 35 to disengagethe cont-act 27from the stationary contact. 26. A rivet which holds the rubbing block 36 to the arm 35 also anchors one end of the spring conductor 38 to saidarm 35, the other end of said spring conductor being secured with clip 39 of the lead 40 to an .angularear 41 provided on the terminal plate 42. Terminal plate 42 is secured to plate 23 by rivets 43, said plate, however, being insulated from the plate 23 by the insulating plate 44. .An uprightangular ear 45 provided on the terminal plate'42 engages the insulator 46 which extends through an opening in the annular wall of the housing 20 and supports the connecting screw 47 t0 the outer end of which the terminal' clip 48 is attached. 7 The lead 40 connects one foil of the condenser 50 with the movable contact 27, the other foil of said condenser being grounded to the plate 23 by rannnnrcxa. HARDMAN, ornnxfr'rolv, 01x10, essienoitr'ro DELCO-REMY c -Bramthe bracket 51 which is secured to the plate 23 by screws 52, said bracket being thus electrically connected with the stationary contact 26.

The drive shaft of the ignition device is rotatably supported in the cylindrical boss 21, said drive shaft being designated by the numeral 55. The drive shaft extends through a central opening 56 in the plate 23, the cam 37 being rotatably mounted uponthe portion of the drive shaft which extends through said opening. The upper end of the cam'37 supports the rotor 57 which has a spring conductor 58 electrically engaging the central high tension terminal 59 of the distributor head 60, another terminal plate 61 supported by the rotor 57 being adapted to be moved into juxtaposition of the various terminal posts 62, supported by the distributor head by the rotation of the rotor 57. Terminal posts 62 are adapted to be c'onnected'tothe various cylinders of theinternal combustion engine with which the present dev'ee is to be used. The distributor head rests upon the upper edge of the housing 20 and is secured to said housing in any suitable manner.

\Vithin the housing 20 a plate or disc 65 is secured to the drive shaft 55 so that it will be rotated therewith. An elongated slot 66 is provided in the disc 65 adjacent the outer peripheral edge thereof, said slot being angularly arranged relative to a plane radial of the drive shaft. This angular slot 66 is clearly illustrated in the Fig. 4. An intermediate'meniber, designated by the numeral 67, in the form of a. disc similar to thedisc 65, is secured to a sleeve 68 whichformsa bearing by which the intermediate member 67 is rotatably supported by the'd'rive shaft 55. This sleeve 68rests upon the disc whereby the intermediate member 67 is held in proper spaced relationrelative to said disc 65. The intermediate member 67 has an elongated slot 69 arranged substantially radially of the bearing sleeve 68, the length of this slot 69 being substantially equal to the length of the angu'larslot '66. A pin 70 has one end extending into the angular slot 66 of the plate'65, the other end of said pin extends into the radial slot 69 of theinte'rmediate member 67. One end' of a temperature responsive element ortherniostatic, bi metallic strip 71, is securely anchored to the pin 70, the other end of said thermostat 71 being secured to a post 7 2 which is carried by'the disc65. The thermostat 71 is so constructed that, at decreasing temperatures it will expand to move the pin 70outwardly away from the axis of the drive shaft 55 whereby the pin will follow the angular slot 66, said movement of the pin causing the intermediate member 67 to be rotated clockwise relative to the disc 65 as regards the Figs. 2 and 4, which rotation of the intermediate member 67 isinthe direction of rotatioirof cam 37. Thus, at decreasing temperatures the thermostat 71 will expand and clockwise vary the angular relation between the intermediate element 67 and the disc 65. At increasing temperatures the element 71 will contract, follow the path of the angular slot 66'of disc 65 toward the axis of the shaft 55 whereby a counter-clockwise rotative motion is transmitted to the intermediate member 67 or more specifically a rotative motion in a' direction opposite to the rotation of cam 37.

The intermediate member 67 has two posts and 81 supportedthereon which pivotally support centrifugal weight members 82 and 83 respectively. These weight members-5 each have camming arms 84. and 85 respectively, which are adapted to engage the ones 86 and 87' respectively, of the plate 88 which is secured to the lower end of the cam 37 so as to be rotatable therewith. A retainer plate 89 maintains the centrifugal weight members 82 and 83 in proper position, said retainer plate being carried on the lower end of the am 37. The arms 86 and 87 of plate 88 are provided withstuds 90 and 91 respectively. Between the post 80 and stud 90 a spring 92 is anchored and between the post 81 and stud 91 a spring 93 is supported both springs 92'and 93 yieldably urging the plate 87 so that it will exert pressure upon the respective camming arms 84 and 85 of the centrifugal members 82 and 83 respectively, whereby said members or weights are yieldably urgedtowar-d the normal position, or more specifically toward the'axis of the drive shaft 55. From this it may be seen that the intermediate member 67 is connected with the cam 37 through the posts 80 and 81, centrifugal weight members 82 and 83 and plate 88, said plate having arms 86 and 87 engaged by the centrifugal-weightmembcrs 82 and 83 re spectively. The plate 88, as has been mentioned, is attached tothe cam 37. Thus, the cam 37 will be rotated with the intermediate member .67.

A proper increase in speed will cause the weights 82 and83to fly outwardly, exerting pressure upon the arms 86 and 87 of the plate 88 to rotate said plate clockwise as regards Fig. 3,-thus causing the plate 88 to rotate the cam 37 clockwise in addition to the clockwise rotation of the cam by the engine. Thus, at increasing speeds, by the added clockwise rotation of the cam, the time of sparking impulses is automatically advanced in accordance with increases in engine speed and inversely as the weights are drawn inwardly by springs 92 and 93 at reduced engine speeds the time of sparking impulse will be retarded due to the counterclockwise" movement of the cam by the plate'88.

The movement of the thermostatic member 71 outwardly-, at lowering temperatures,

and inwardly at rising temperatures, will move the intermedlate member 67 clockwise and counter-clockwise respectively, said rotation being transmitted through the speed responsive means to the cam 37 and thus the cam will be rotatedclockwise ortcounterclockwise respectively, to advance or retard the spark in accordance with such respec{ tive decreases or increases in temperature conditions. 7

temperatures so that the thermostatic element in this instance will Operate at lowering temperatures to advance the spark and thus facilitate starting of the engine. At normal temperatures the thermostat will maintain pin substantially midway between the ends of slots 66 and 69 so that at lowering temperatures the pin may move toward theiclockwise rotation ends of said slots, while at increasing temperatures Where a more retarded spark will more efficiently fire the engine, the pin 70 will approach the counterclockwise rotation end of said slots.

VJhile the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. a

llhat is claimed is as follows: v

1. An ignition device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination; a circuit interrrupter; a shaft adapted'to be driven by the engine; a-cam for operating said circuit interrupter, rotatably supported upon the said shaft;'a speed responsive device rotatably supported by said shaft and connected to the cam; a member attached to the shaft; means connected between the speed 1 responsive device and said member for connecting said device to the shaft, said means being movable to adjust the angular relation between said device and member; and a thermostat directly connected with said aforementioned means for operating it to obtain said angular adjustment in accordance with temperature changes.

2. An ignition device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a circuit interrupter; a cam member for operating said interrupter; a shaft member; plates carried by the shaft in superposed rela tion, one being rotatable relative to said shaft; a speed responsive device carried by the plate rota-table relative to said shaft, said speed responsive means being connected with the cam to adjust the cam in accordance with the speed of the plate supporting said device; a member connecting the plates whereby the plate carrying the speed responsive device is connected with the shaft, said member being movable relativeto said plates to adjust the one relative to the other angularly; and a temperature responsive device attached to the plate securedto the shaft and to the said member for moving said member to secure ad ustment-s 'ofthe plates in response to temperaturejchanges andindependently of ignition device operation. 1 i

3. An ignition device for an internal com,-

bustion engine comprising in combination, a circuit interrupteifi a drive shaft adapted to be drivenby the engine; a cam for operating said circuit interrupter, said cam being r0- tatably supported upon the shaft; an intermediate member rotatably supported by the shaft; speed responsive means carried by the intermediate member and connected with the cam; asupporting element carried byand securedto the shaft; and temperature respon sive means for connecting the lntermediate member and the supporting element and for varying the angular relation between them inaccordance with temperature changes.

4. An ignition device for an internal combustion en 'ine comprising incombination, a

.circuit interrupter; a drive shaft adapted to be driven by the engine; a cam for operating said circuit interrupter,;said cam being rotatably supported upon the shaft; a mounting plate carried by and secured to the shaft; an intermediate member rotatably supported by the shaft; temperature responsive means mounted on the mounting plate and connecti'ng the said mountingplate and the intermediate member, said means being adapted to vary the angular relation between them in accordance with temperature changes; a speed responsive means carried by the intermediate member for connecting said member with the cam and for varying the angular relation between the shaft and cam in accordance with variations in the speed of the shaft. 7

5. An ignition device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a-

circuit interrupter; a cam for operating said interrupter; a drive shaft; a plate drivingly connected with the cam; said plate having an elongated slot; a disc secured to the drive shaft, and having an elongated slot arranged angularly to the slot in the plate; a pin extending into both slots; and a temperature responsive element anchored at one end to the disc and at the other end to said pin for moving the pin to rotate the plate relative to the disc in response to temperature variations.

6. An ignition-device for an internal com 7 bustion engine comprising in combination, a V

circuit interrupter; a drive shaft; a cam for operating said interrupter, rotatably carried by the drive shaft; a plate rotatably' supported by the drive shaft and operatively connected with the cam; said plate having an elongated slot; a disc secured to the drive shaft, having an elongated slot arranged angularly relative to the slot in the plate; a pin extending into both slots; and a bimetallic strip, anchored at one end to the disc and at the other end to the pin for operating said pin to rotate the plate relative to the disc.

7. An ignition device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a circuit interrupter; a drive shaft; a cam for operating said circuit interrupter, rotatably supported by the shaft; a plate rotatably carried by the shaft and having an elongated slot; speed responsive means carried by the plate and operatively engaging the cam for varying the angular relation between the cam and shaft in response to variations in the speed of the shaft; a disc secured to the shaft, having an elongated'slot angularly arranged relative to the slot in the plate; a pin extending into both slots; and a bimetallic element anchored at one end to the disc and at the other end to the pin and adapted to operate the pin for rotating the plate relative to the disc whereby the angular relation between the cam and shaft is varied in accordance with temperature variations.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my s1gnature. 7

FREDERICK J. HARDMAN. 

